SOUTH SHORE INSIDER: Quincy architect seeing more smaller homes

When Arthur Choo was a kid, his father, a structural engineer also named Arthur Choo, would allow him to draw on his extra drafting paper. It gave the younger Choo the opportunity to develop a sense of style and three dimensional space.

By Dan Schneider

The Patriot Ledger, Quincy, MA

By Dan Schneider

Posted Jul. 24, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated Jul 24, 2013 at 1:11 AM

By Dan Schneider

Posted Jul. 24, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated Jul 24, 2013 at 1:11 AM

QUINCY

» Social News

When Arthur Choo was a kid, his father, a structural engineer also named Arthur Choo, would allow him to draw on his extra drafting paper. It gave the younger Choo the opportunity to develop a sense of style and three dimensional space.

A few decades later, Choo has become the president of his own architectural design firm, Choo & Co. Inc., which shares a floor of an office building with his father’s business.

As an architect, Choo’s approach to creating a new building puts him on the more creative side of his profession and requires a holistic approach, he says. He not only has to think about what a building will look like, but also how it will look next to other buildings, how convenient it will be for the user, and the material used to construct it.

What drove you toward the more creative side of your profession?

It’s sort of an expression of the owner, and what they want to achieve, what resides between their vision and their budget, and what they’re regulatorily allowed to build. It’s creative, yes, but it’s also more of a balance than pure design.

What’s your first thought when you sit down with a new project?

I think the contextual aspects, as far as how it will relate to the neighborhood, both in an aesthetic and a social way. I think about what’s possible, how it will be used.

There’s also always an interaction between parking and transportation and the space around a building. When you bring a proposal in, that’s usually one of the first things you’re asked –– ‘how well does it fit into the neighborhood, and how well will users be able to come to and from the project?’

Have you seen a change in the types of homes people are asking for now, compared to five years ago?

We’ve been seeing smaller homes, but more open so it’s like a larger home. Transportation to and from the location is very important, and its relationship to the exterior space. Roof decks, or some kind of private exterior space, have been popular, too.

Higher density (areas) are also much more acceptable, so areas in Boston like South Boston and Jamaica Plain have become much better from a commuter’s standpoint.

What does the designation ‘Certified Green Builders’ mean?

I think there’s a misconception that it’s all about energy savings. But it’s also about using materials that are reusable, even using local materials that don’t require a lot of transportation.

It’s an overall program about how to be a better neighbor – recycling during construction, for example. You’ll see more and more of that being used, and as it becomes more economically feasible, it starts to seem like a good idea. We have seen some hesitance from developers because the green alternatives can cost more.

Page 2 of 2 - Is your firm doing work on the Quincy Center project?

There are some buildings on the perimeter that are going through some renovations that we’re working on. One of the projects we’re working on is some schemes for the Masons’ building. We’re also working on an office building directly across the street, refurbishing it.

How many different projects will you have going at any one time?

We’ll probably do about 300 projects a year, and about 40 going at any one time. They’re each at different phases of development, and each project may go on for several years.

What’s the most interesting project you’ve worked on?

One project we’re working on that’s very interesting is converting the Winthrop Hospital to an assisted-living facility.

It was interesting to change the institutional project into something that is more applicable to the town’s needs at this point. A lot of the people in the town were actually born in that hospital. It was where they started, and it would provide for the townspeople’s own future, for where they would stay in the town.